"Framing?! It was more like a misunderstanding — I will never want to harm someone to that extent," Andy chimed, her eyes shimmering with hope of seducing Lachlan. Just maybe she could become the mistress of the Strokes.
"Hmm -" Lachlan replied, his gaze lingering on Esther who remained cool and calm, clearly not affected by Andy's presence. It was like she found it not worth her time.
"I wanted to thank you for the gift you brought earlier," Andy added again, smiling sweetly.
"It was nothing," Lachlan exchanged, telling the truth actually. He hadn't put much effort into her present. He randomly chose a gift online and had it delivered. He didn't even know the content of the gift—before he had it wrapped.
If only he knew what he sent to Andy and if only he knew what she was thinking. Andy thought that she had won Lachlan's heart and tried inciting him, but it seemed he was growing out of the conversation and clearly not interested as he was when he was talking to Lilith.
He hadn't even complimented her dress, which she spent time re-dressing. Finally, she decided to leave—which made Lachlan sigh involuntarily.
Meanwhile, Lilith was playing games in her phone, paying absolute no attention to them and making sure she didn't get distracted by their tete-a-tete—she wore earbuds and started playing her favourite racing game.
As Andy stood up to leave, Lachlan's gaze followed her, but his expression remained neutral. He didn't seem to be interested in her at all.
"Thank you for the conversation, Mr. Strokes," Andy said, trying to sound seductive.
"You're welcome," Lachlan replied, his voice polite but distant.
Andy smiled and walked away, feeling a sense of disappointment. She had hoped to make a stronger connection with Lachlan, but it seemed like he was not interested.
As she walked away, Lilith looked up from her phone and watched her go, her expression unreadable. She seemed to be sizing Andy up, but her thoughts were impossible to decipher.
Lachlan, on the other hand, seemed relieved that Andy had left. He turned his attention back to the conversation, but his eyes kept drifting towards Esther, who was still sitting calmly, enjoying her game
...
A waiter came by with some fruits for the guest. Lachlan who was talking with a business partner noticed the waiter and instinctively gestured for the waiter over to their table before picking up a bowl of freshly picked grapes.
Meanwhile, Liam who was bored out of hell while watching his social media videos felt joy that his brother could understand his cravings and reached out for the bowl.
But Lachlan smacked his hands away, glaring at him. Instead of placing the bowl by Liam, Lachlan passed it to Lilith's side.
Liam"..."
Business partner ".."
Liam was speechless, he couldn't believe his brother was caring for a woman who had previously taunted him instead of his own brother.
He took his own bowl, and started munching on the sweet and sour grapes but while eating he kept glaring at Lilith. "I wouldn't allow you to steal Lachlan away from Esther no way," Liam inwardly retorted, as if sensing unwanted stared Esther raised her head and met Liam's gaze.
She smirked deviously and looked back down at her game. Liam felt the mockery in Lilith's smirk. It was as if she knew exactly what was going on in his mind and was enjoying the situation.
She picked up a grape from the bowl and popped it into her mouth, savoring the sweet flavor.
Lachlan watched her, his eyes fixed on her lips as she ate the grape. He seemed to be enjoying the sight, and for a moment, he forgot about the tension between him and Liam.
The atmosphere at the table was complex, with unspoken emotions and tensions simmering just below the surface. It was clear that there was more going on than met the eye, and the business patner was eager to see what would happen next.
...
After a round Esther finished her gaming, put her phone aside, and stared below where a group of performers were showcasing their talents. "You should consider dying your eyes," Lachlan whispered to her, his breath of mint penetrating Esther's nostrils. She turned to look at him, her lips almost brushing with his. With such close proximity — they could literally hear each other's breathing.
Lilith Lan moved back a little —before asking. "What do you mean?" Lachlan's eyes sparkled with amusement as he gazed at her. "Nothing, I just find it hilarious.— trying to fool me so easily— and too without changing anything about yourself. Even your hair color is the same."
Esther barely grasped a thing he said —he was speaking in French, a foreign language, which she was still trying to understand. All she could understand was "Nothing."
"Speak English," she replied—but only received a smug smile from Lachlan. He was leaving her in the dark just like how she planned on leaving him in the dark by dressing up as Lilith Lan.